The mental illness condition referred to as borderline personality disorder severely affects the ability of a person to regulate emotions. This, in turn, makes them react more impulsively, affects how they feel about themselves, and negatively impacts their relationships with others. Treatments are available and they help the affected people manage the symptoms effectively.
Borderline Personality Disorder vs. Bipolar Disorder
People sometimes confuse bipolar disorder with borderline personality disorder, as symptoms such as depression, impulsive behaviour, and intense emotional responses may be present in people suffering from these mental health conditions. However, they are not the same. Therefore, proper diagnosis and treatment are important. Besides, bipolar disorder is more common compared to borderline personality disorder.
Borderline Personality Disorder Symptoms
People who suffer from this mental disorder may experience mood swings and have unstable behaviour and relationships.
Feelings for others often change and may swing from extreme friendliness to sheer dislike. The change in feelings for others can cause emotional pain. In addition to viewing things at extremes (very good or very bad), their values and interests often change quickly. This makes them act recklessly.
Other signs and symptoms:
• They may make efforts to avoid perceived/real abandonment (plunge headfirst into relationships or end relationships just as quickly).
• They may display a pattern of unstable relationships with friends, family, and loved ones.
• They may have an unstable self-image, chronic feelings of emptiness, and display anger. They may also find it difficult to control their anger.
• They may act impulsively, or even dangerously (spending sprees, substance abuse, unsafe sex, binge eating, and reckless driving).
• They may display self-harming behaviour and have recurring thoughts of suicidal behaviour.
• The mood swings they experience may last from a couple of hours to a few days.
• They may have ongoing feelings of emptiness.
All those suffering from a borderline personality disorder may not experience all of the symptoms listed above. Furthermore, the severity, duration, and frequency of occurrence of symptoms vary from one person to another.
What Causes Borderline Personality Disorder?
The causes of borderline personality disorder have not yet been fully understood by the medical fraternity. Apart from environmental factors such as a history of neglect or child abuse, this mental illness may be linked to genetics (prevalence among family members) and brain abnormalities (variations in the levels of certain brain chemicals that play a role in regulating mood). Some factors that contribute to increasing the risk of the development of borderline personality disorder include genetic predisposition and stressful childhood.
Treatment
If you searched online for the keywords "borderline personality disorder test near me", then you can easily spot us on the World Wide Web. At SoftMinds, we have a team of highly qualified psychotherapists, clinical psychologists, and counselling experts. These well-trained and competent mental health professionals are adept at providing cognitive behavioural therapies and clinical hypnotherapy. Mental health professionals at SoftMinds have the required skills, competence, and experience to help you.
A high-functioning borderline personality disorder test will help us understand whether you are in a position to make it through a day with this mental disorder, hiding the turmoil within you from others. For some people, experiencing very good and very bad days might be an indication that they are suffering from a high-functioning borderline personality disorder.
At SoftMind, we offer treatment depending on various factors, including the type of personality disorder and the severity of your condition. For example, we have the expertise to provide narcissistic personality disorder treatment as well. Most often, psychotherapy alone may be sufficient treatment for you. However, medications may be added if your symptoms are moderate or severe. This is because the combination of psychotherapy and medication provides the best outcomes in such situations.
Psychotherapy, also known as talk therapy, is the basic approach when it comes to treating borderline personality disorder patients. There are different types of psychotherapy and they help you to:
• Focus on your current capabilities
• Manage emotions
• Reduce your impulsiveness
• Work on improving relationships
Medication
When it comes to medications, some medications may be helpful in relieving the symptoms of problems like depression, aggression, impulsiveness, or anxiety that those suffering from a borderline personality disorder may experience. Besides, medications may include antipsychotics, antidepressants, or mood-stabilizing drugs.